What's New Archives

2015 Student Advocacy Day: Hundreds of Maryland Community College Students Rally at Annapolis Capitol: Hundreds of students from community colleges across Maryland converged on Annapolis Wednesday morning, February 11, 2015, for the 21st annual Student Advocacy Day, organized by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) to provide students with access to Annapolis lawmakers. Get more information here >>

MACC Supports Obama Plan for Free Community College:
Annapolis, MD, January 9, 2015 - The Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) strongly supports expanding access to postsecondary education for Marylanders and Americans, as expressed in President Obama’s initiative announced January 9. The President’s bold announcement elevates dialogue on this critical issue to the national arena, and encourages collaboration between state and federal agencies in addressing the widening skills gap and its dragging effect on the economy.

“The fact that 80% of all future jobs in Maryland will need workers with the education levels that community colleges provide, coupled with economists’ assertions that high student debt levels can limit local economic growth, mean that it is time for new approaches to developing Maryland’s 21st century workforce,” said Dr. Bernie Sadusky, Executive Director of Maryland Association of Community Colleges.
Full MACC press release >>Official White House Fact Sheet >>

Governor O’Malley Receives Award at 5th Annual MACC Summit on College Completion: Hundreds of community college faculty, state lawmakers, and higher education policymakers met December 5th at the Maryland Association of Community Colleges’ (MACC) 5th annual Summit on Completion to share strategies for improving college completion rates. Governor Martin O’Malley attended the Summit, held at the Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville, and collected an award highlighting his Administration’s work to increase access to affordable college.

Maryland Community Colleges Awarded $15M TAACCT Grant: Fourteen community colleges will split $14.9 million from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant to develop cybersecurity programs.
Read more.

Four straight years of growth in community college graduations have moved Maryland closer to meeting Governor O’Malley’s goal that at least 55% of Maryland’s adult population have a degree or career credential by 2025. >> Read full story.

Community College Instructor Named Maryland Professor of the Year 2013: Montgomery College English instructor Greg Wahl was recently named Maryland Professor of the Year for 2013 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Watch video:

Dr. Wahl will be introduced and presented with a resolution on the floor of the Maryland Senate later today.

Update: Tomorrow's Student Advocacy Day Canceled: Due to the Winter Storm Warning in effect for our area through tomorrow evening, Student Advocacy Day, scheduled for tomorrow Feb. 13, is now CANCELED.

Maryland Community College Students Converge on Annapolis: Feb. 11 (Annapolis, MD) - Hundreds of students from community colleges across Maryland will converge on Annapolis Thursday morning, February 13, 2014, for the 20th annual Student Advocacy Day, organized by Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) to provide students with access to Annapolis decision makers. More >>

Maryland Community Colleges Work to Exceed Governor O'Malley's Goals for College Completion: Over 400 Maryland community college faculty and staff will meet at the 4th Annual Summit on Completion, a full day forum focused on Maryland’s groundbreaking higher education reform measure, the College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act of 2013. Read full story >>

FAQ Data Sheet on SB740 Available for Download: A fact sheet is available that provides more information on SB740: The College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act of 2013. Download FAQ sheet >>

Dual Enrollment Offers Students Fast Track to College Completion: Maryland's 16 community colleges provide an abundance of outstanding early college access programs for high school students, giving them the opportunity to accelerate their pursuit of a college degree or certificate. Learn more >>

Community College Students Rally in Annapolis for State Funding: On February 6, hundreds of students from all 16 Maryland community colleges came together for Student Advocacy Day and met with legislators to garner support for the Governor’s Budget that increases State aid to community colleges. Get the wrap-up.

Annual Trustee Leadership Conference Held in Annapolis: MACC's annual conference for Maryland community college trustees was held January 28 in Annapolis. Get the wrap-up.

MACC's Holds 3rd Annual Completion Summit at CCBC: For the third consecutive year, Maryland’s 16 community colleges teamed up to share best practices among colleagues for increasing the number of students who earn associate degrees, certificates or workforce credentials, and/or transfer to a four-year institution to complete bachelor’s and advanced degrees. Get the wrap-up.

Hagerstown Community College Honor Students Hold Completion Symposium: Intended for both high school and college students, the symposium featured local, state, and national speakers discussing how students can overcome obstacles to complete a college degree. Read article.

Recent Report Examines Reverse Transfer at U.S. Institutions: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's August 2012 report takes a comprehensive look at the enrollment pathways of reverse transfer students across the nation. Watch video about the report.

National Community College Association President to Lead Panel Discussion at Completion Summit: Dr. Walter Bumphus, President/CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges will lead a panel disucssion at MACC's 3rd Annual Summit on Completion December 7, 2012, at CCBC Catonsville. Read more on the MACC Blog.

Dr. Dawn Lindsay Assumes Role as Anne Arundel Community College President: Dawn Lindsay, Ed.D., officially assumed her role as the sixth president of Anne Arundel Community College on Aug. 1. Read more.

ACCT to Hold Annual Leadership Congress in Boston: This October 10-13, trustees, presidents, professional board staff, federal officials and other community college leaders and supporters will meet in Boston for the 43rd Annual ACCT Leadership Congress. Watch video.

Regular Session Wrap-up: Of the 2,580 pieces of legislation introduced during the 2012 legislative session, MACC forwarded over 80 bills to its Legislative Committee for further review and possible action. The Committee’s recommendations, the final status of the bills, and the community college testimony are available for download in the 2012 MACC Legislative Report.

MACC Weighs In on Proposed Pension Cost Shift: Community college leaders are urging legislators to oppose the proposed shifting of teacher pension costs from the state to the counties and have joined forces with a statewide “Stop the Shift” coalition. Read press coverage.

Students Rally in Annapolis for State Funding: Hundreds of Maryland community college students joined college leaders for Student Advocacy Day in Annapolis to meet with their legislators. Read more on the MACC Blog.

CCCSE Director Speaks at Trustee Leadership Conference: Dr. Kay McClenney, Director of the Center for Community College Student Engagement, and Co-chair of the AACC 21st Century
Commission on the Future of Community Colleges spoke at MACC's Jan. 23 conference. Download the day's presentations.

Community Colleges Hold 2nd Annual 'Summit on Completion’: More than 400 community college administrators, faculty and staff from across the state -- along with Maryland Higher Education Secretary Danette Howard -- gathered for MACC's 2nd Annual "Summit on Completion." Get wrap-up.

MACC Completion Blog Goes Live: The MACC Blog - "Tracking Completion at Maryland's Community Colleges" - has gone live. Fully engaged in the nationwide commitment to the “completion agenda,” Maryland’s community colleges are undertaking a variety of initiatives to ensure more students succeed in earning their degrees or certifications. On this blog, we invite you to keep track of the work that our colleges are doing to advance the “completion agenda.” Click here to visit the new site.

Maryland Community Colleges Recognized in Completion Challenge: The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has added all 16 Maryland community colleges to their list of "Colleges Accepting the Completion Challenge," with MACC listed as the only "State Accepting the Challenge." Learn more.

Five Community Colleges Awarded $100,000 to Develop MI-BEST Programs: The Maryland Workforce Corporation has awarded $100,000 in program funds under a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore...Download full press release.

Scholarship Announcement: Through the Barbara Ash Scholarship Fund, MACC will award up to three $1,000 scholarships to first-time community college students. Learn more.

Community College Students Meet with State Lawmakers in Annapolis: Students representing all 16 Maryland community colleges convened in the state capital to talk with legislators during Student Advocacy Day 2011. Learn more.

Community Colleges Sign Campus Compact for Student Veterans: Higher education leaders, including a majority of community college presidents, pledge to "do more to ease student veterans’ transitions from combat to campus." Learn more.

MACC Holds Annual Trustee Leadership Conference in Annapolis: Community college boards and campus leaders meet to share best practices in advocating for community colleges and ensuring student success. Learn more.

Maryland Community College Presidents Sign Statewide Pledge on Completion at MACC Summit: December 3, 2010 - Maryland's 16 member community colleges announced at MACC’s Summit on Completion their pledge to substantially increase the number of Maryland community college graduates by 2025. The summit, held at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Md., was a follow up to the October 5 White House Summit on Community Colleges. Find out more.

White House Summit on Community Colleges: October 5, 2010 - Dr. Jill Biden chaired the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges to highlight the critical role that community colleges play in developing America’s workforce and reaching our educational goals. Find out more.

Anne Arundel Community College Student Featured in U.S. Department of Education Video: The U.S. Department of Education has just produced three new video profiles of adult students at community colleges, and one of the highlighted institutions is Anne Arundel Community College. Watch the video.

National Community College Leaders Endorse Call to Action: Six national organizations, including ACCT and AACC, representing America's 1,200 community colleges, their governing boards, their faculty, and their 11.8 million students recently signed a statement of commitment to increase student completion rates by 50 percent over the next decade. Download Democracy's Colleges Call to Action.

2010 All-Maryland Community College Academic Team Announced: Ellicott City, MD (May 5, 2010) - Twenty five top scholars from 13 Maryland community colleges were honored at the 16th Annual All-Maryland Academic Team Dinner hosted by Howard Community College at Turf Valley Resort. Read more.

PGCC Hosts Skills2Compete Launch: Largo, MD (March 2, 2010) - Prince George's Community College hosted the news conference to announce the launch of Skills2Compete-Maryland, a major O'Malley-Brown initiative aimed at increasing the skills and competitiveness of Maryland's workforce. Read more.

License and Certification Programs Report Now Available: A compilation of the licensure and certification programs offered at all 16 Maryland community colleges is now available. Download report.

Community Colleges Meet with Maryland Congressional Delegation: At the invitation of Senator Barbara Mikulski, a delegation of community college trustees, presidents and staff met with the Maryland Congressional Delegation at the new visitors’ center at the U.S. Capitol. Read more.

Two Maryland Community College Presidents Selected to Serve on AACC Board: Carol Eaton, president of Frederick Community College, and Carolane Williams, president of Baltimore City Community College, were recently selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) — the primary advocacy organization for the nation's community colleges. AACC represents almost 1,200 two-year, associate degree–granting institutions and more than 11 million students.

Barbara Ash Scholarship — Application Deadline is May 13: Begun last year in honor of the late Barbara Ash, this scholarship acknowledges and rewards students who will attend any one of Maryland's 16 community colleges for the first time and who have demonstrated leadership in community service. Read more.

Students and community college leaders talk with Sheilah Kast, host of Maryland Morning on WYPR 88.1 FM. (Baltimore, MD – February 27) Radio talk show host Sheilah Kast spoke with students at Baltimore City Community College and then interviewed Dr. Kate Hetherington, President of Howard Community College; Dr. Steve Pannill, President of Cecil College; and Clay Whitlow, Executive Director of MACC about where community college education stands in Maryland.

Student Advocacy Day 2009: (Annapolis, MD - February 11) Over 300 students from Maryland’s 16 community colleges traveled to the State capitol to meet with legislators and urged them to support community colleges in the FY2010 budget. Read more.

HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY HOLDS TEXTBOOK AFFORDABILITY SUMMIT: To address the rising cost of textbooks and explore possible solutions, MACC recently co-sponsored the Textbook Affordability Summit with the University System of Maryland, St. Mary’s College, Morgan State University and the Maryland Independent College and University Association. Read More

FALL 2008 OPENING ENROLLMENT FIGURES RELEASED: According to a recent report from the Maryland Higher Education Commission, Maryland community colleges continue to be the fastest growing segment of undergraduate education, now serving over 128,000 students — almost half of the state's undergraduates.
Read More

COMMUNITY COLLEGES PARTNER WITH UMUC TO STREAMLINE TRANSFER PROCESS: Wor-Wic Community College and University of Maryland University College (UMUC) will sign off on an alliance partnership this week that offers Wor-Wic Community College graduates access to UMUC bachelor’s degrees. Beginning this spring, Wor-Wic will offer dual admission into several UMUC programs including business administration, accounting, fire science, history, criminal justice and environmental management. UMUC now has alliance partnerships with all 16 community colleges in Maryland, streamlining the transfer process for community college graduates who wish to transition to a four-year UMUC program. Click here for more information .

TEXTBOOK AFFORDABILITY SUMMIT SLATED FOR NOVEMBER 24: MACC is co-sponsoring a Textbook Affordability Summit with the University System of Maryland, St. Mary’s College, Morgan State University and the Maryland Independent College and University Association. The event is scheduled for Monday, November 24 at College Park from 8:30 to 2:30 p.m. The summit will address the textbook provisions recently enacted in the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, E-Textbooks and Technology initiatives, the perspective of the Maryland General Assembly and publishers on this issue, and an open discussion on possible solutions. An agenda will be posted on USM's web site prior to the summit. Registration is free and is available online. Click here for more information .

MACC BOARD ENDORSES SLOTS RESOLUTION: Annapolis, MD (October 23, 2008) The Board of Directors of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) has endorsed a resolution that supports Question 2 – the Constitutional Amendment Authorizing Video Lottery Terminals.
The resolution was approved at a Wednesday, October 22 Board meeting in Annapolis.
MACC now joins a variety of other organizations and associations including firefighters and teachers organizations in support of Question 2. Download the press release and full resolution .

HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENT CO-CHAIRS TRANSFER AND ACCESS COMMITTEE: Dr. Guy Altieri, president of Hagerstown Community College, was recently named co-chair of the University System of Maryland (USM)/Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) Transfer and Access Committee. Altieri was appointed by Maryland Council of Community College Presidents (MCCCP) Chair Steve Pannill.
He is joined by newly appointed University of Baltimore President Robert Bogomolny, who replaced Robert Caret as of September 1, 2008. Towson University President Robert Caret served as co-chair of the committee from its inception in 2003 until this year.
Altieri and Bogomolny will co-chair the committee as it works to ensure that Maryland's community college students experience a simple and straightforward process when they transfer to USM institutions.

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY SIGNS ABE BILL: Executive Director Clay Whitlow joined Secretaries Tom Perez, DLLR; James Lyons, MHEC; and Gary Maynard, Department of Corrections, along with Community College Presidents Stuart Bounds, Ray Hoy, and Steve Pannill, at the official signing ceremony for the legislation to transfer responsibility for Adult Basic Education and corrections education from MSDE to DLLR. The Governor's Transition Council now goes to work to ensure a smooth transition, which will go into effect July 1, 2009.

MIKULSKI HELPS COLLEGES OBTAIN FEDERAL GRANT FOR NURSING PROGRAMS:

Maryland’s community colleges deeply appreciate the efforts of U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski in obtaining federal grant funds to enhance and expand our nursing programs. Senator Mikulski recently visited the MACC office in Annapolis (pictured, left, with MACC Executive Director Clay Whitlow) to discuss federal initiatives with the community college presidents, the MACC Legislative Committee, and staff. Over 60% of Maryland's registered nurses were trained at community colleges. Last year, 98% of the Maryland community college nursing graduates passed the state licensure exam. This percentage is higher than the national average. The federal funds secured by the Senator will help us to continue graduating top caliber nurses by allowing us to update our nursing lab equipment and hire more dedicated faculty to teach the programs. Because of the shortage of nurses in Maryland, it is critical that community colleges do all that they can to enhance our nursing programs. The community colleges are committed to doing this, for the benefit of our students and the well being of Maryland citizens.